


Eddie Kaspbrak's new house

by Worldsgreatestnerd



Category: IT- 2017
Genre: Implied/Referenced Suicide, It's a murder house AU except the kiddos are the ghosts, Kissing, M/M, Some Fluff, Sonia is there being awful, Suicide, implied/reference child abuse, major character death cause 6/7 are dead, mature for violence and language, pennywise is a murderous clown not an alien
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2018-03-01
Packaged: 2019-01-17 23:26:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 17,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12376311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Worldsgreatestnerd/pseuds/Worldsgreatestnerd
Summary: Eddie and Sonia Kaspbrak move into a new house where the history is dark, the happenings around the house are strange and Eddie's new found friends are even stranger.





	1. Welcome to California

"C'mon Eddie, it's not too bad. This house, this place, will help you get over your sickness!" Sonia Kaspbrak urged, her tone wavering and wailing like always. 

Eddie huffed, eyes flashed down to his feet, socks brightly stripped through his slide on sandals.

L.A. Was a long way from Derry Maine; of course he knew that, he rode all the way there, their rented moving truck rattling along the country. 

Eddie Kaspbrak broke his arm falling down the stairs at his house in Derry and that was the last straw for his mother. Maybe it was also she had gotten a better job offer out there, but something about it seemed fishy to Eddie. 

Eddie was already homeschooled, so there wasn't much to say good bye to, no classes to wave bye to, not many friends he was close to. 

Eddie's eyes flashed over the palm trees, warm California sunset easing over the sky, a pleasant warmth flushing his skin. They didn't have that in Derry. 

The grass and trees weren't green in L.A. not like in Derry; the only green grass was almost too perfect to count as grass. 

"You're gonna be a west coast kid, Eddie bear! Just like all those children on T.V.! Like you always wanted dear." Sonia shrilled as they passed the what felt like the hundredth 7/11. 

Eddie sighed, he felt like that's all he did now days. His watch beeped, signaling him to take his third round of meds for the day, making him sigh again. 

Quickly he swallowed his two pills dry, the uncomfortable slide of pills down his throat still made him gag. 

"Oh Eddie! Drink some water- you know you can choke taking those dry." She worried, her brows furrowing together. 

"I'm sorry, mommy, I just didn't want to forget." Eddie apologized, fingers flicking over his well worn paper back book. 

He quickly swigged his water bottle before shoving it in between his thighs for quick convenience. His cast laid there on his thigh, with a glaring 'Loser' written across.

"Eddie, dear, how many times have you read that book?" Sonia tried for conversation, "you know there are others."

Eddie looked at the wearing copy of 'A Wrinkle In Time' laid in his lap, book mark in the chapter 'Mrs. Witch.'; perhaps he'd read it a couple times over but a good book is a good book, his mother didn't seem to be one to complain. 

"I like this one, I got it from the pharmacy, they had it on display," Eddie explained "something about it stuck." 

Sonia hummed at her child, she always hummed when she was pleased with him, her perfect little boy, that's always told him, what was made of him. 

Eddie had to be perfect, it would crush him otherwise, his mother's shrills would swallow his thirteen year old soul whole. California was the state of perfection, where Hollywood and Malibu resided for the most perfect people. 

They were turning more often now, the cassette tape of Simon and Garfunkel turned low, they were getting close.

The sun had set, but the glow of the city kept the darkness at bay. Their headlights beamed along the blacktop of the neighborhood, Eddie almost hoped something terrible and fantastic would happen right there, for his mother to tell Eddie it was all one big lie, a joke, but Eddie Kaspbrak knew his mother didn't make jokes. 

They turned again, passing another 7/11. 

The neighborhood was perfect, so clean and well kept. Every house was almost sparkling, something Eddie envied. Children about his age played in the streets, riding bikes, playing in sprinklers, something he wasn't allowed to do.

Then, ten houses down the seeming never ending strip of houses stood the darkest, most foreboding house he'd ever seen. 

It was monolithic, three-stories tall, ivy curling itself around the columns that barred the weight of the porch roof. It's undeniable lure echoed and called to the parts of Eddie formally uncalled to. 

It looked throughly old and terrifying, a house his mother would surely make him avoid. 

"Welcome to our new home, Eddie." His mother cooed. 

Eddie's heart dropped. 

There. 

There? 

That's where he was going to spend his childhood? In a dirty, rotted, monolithic compound? 

No way, no way his mother would do this. 

"Come on, Eddie Bear, grab your suitcase and the air mattress, tomorrow the movers come to put everything in place. We can't have you worrying yourself, you're still getting over your illness." She reminded him. 

Of course, his ever present illness. 

He shuffled out of the moving truck, backpack slung over his shoulder, the damned one he'd been living out of for the past week. 

He sighed again, for the millionth time that day, quickly clambering up the household steps to the wide wooden door. 

"We'll be safe here, you'll get better here." His mother promised. 

Eddie hoped it was true.


	2. Richie watches the new kid sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie wasn't too creepy to watch the new kid sleep, right?

Richie stood at the end of the boy's air mattress as he watched him sleep. His warm chestnut curls falling around his head like a halo, perfect for his already angelic looks. 

His mother was a stress and a half, her panties constantly in a bunch, fretting over the boy, Eddie. He wasn't just a boy, he was Eddie. 

Eddie slept with his cast over his head, safely resting on a pillow. 

The clown wouldn't get him, Richie won't let it him. Eddie's unwavering light wouldn't succumb to the darkness of the house, not at all. 

Eddie had that thing Ben did, that undeniable likeableness, that drew you close and held you there. 

Richie sat down now, leaning over the boy, grappling for a better, deeper look, not caring to wait until tomorrow to properly introduce himself. 

Bev suggested it. 

They'd knock on the door, ask if Eddie wanted to hang out on the lawn, slowly gain their trust to be invited back into the house. 

They'd do so every day, they had a new friend. 

Richie wanted to laugh, what a cliché, ghosts who just want to play. 

They weren't sick or twisted like the clown was, Richie assured himself. They just saw a pull in him, a pleasant quake that would be embraced in the group. 

The kid was no doubt lonely, it was the same look Richie had, something constantly fading everyday surrounded by his almost built in friends. 

Maybe the boy would want to be friends. Maybe not, maybe he'd see right through Richie's grasps for attention, dismiss him like the kids before, like everyone in school, like his teachers, like his- 

No. 

Richie didn't think about them. 

No one talked about parents there, the made that rule long ago. 

Richie shook his head, his own shaggy and curly hair flopping down in front of his eyes as he went back to watching the boy sleep. 

The boy stirred as he slept, lightly muttering incoherencies. 

"Good, good." Richie murmured to himself. He smiled, he kept smiling as he watched him sleep. 

"You're getting creepy now." Bev laughed as she clapped her hand on Richie's shoulder "I know no one else has lived here since you died but no one really watches anyone's sleep around here."

Richie rolled his eyes and sat back on his heels, looking up at the red headed girls. 

"What year did you die, Bev?" Richie asked looking up at her "I know I'm not supposed to ask, just feels like I'm out of the loop." 

Bev sat next to him and crossed her legs, blue eyes staring at the boy as he slept. 

"I died in '94, ran away right after Kobain blew his brains out." She muttered "still not over it." 

Richie took a moment, his constant motormouth cutting off, he couldn't think of a response. She'd be 30 something by now if she hadn't been stumbled upon this hell hole. 

"We watched you for a while, before you died. I thought you were pretty cool cause you brought Metallica CDs with you in your hobo bundle, and a working CD player like some sort of nerd." She said punching his arm. 

"This little shit still listens to Simon and Garfunkel." Richie laughed, but he wasn't happy. 

He was scared. 

He was dead, dead as a doornail but he was still fucking scared.

One day Richie would be a thing of the past, like Bill, now even Ben. Time would go forward but they wouldn't, they'd just stay thirteen, forever. 

"You know what's the worst part of being thirteen forever?" Richie asked with his wide shit eating grin "Poor Stan's balls never dropped." 

Richie laughed at his own joke, Bev eventually laughing too. 

"C'mon downstairs and tell the guys that. I think you've stared at him long enough, creep." She said standing up, offering a hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeat'd all grammatical errors are my own. Kudos and comments make my day!!


	3. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie Kaspbrak meets an interesting group of children.

"Eddie Bear!" His mother called as Eddie spat into the sink.

Eddie's eyes met his own in the mirror, dark circles ringing under his eyes. Slender fingers slid across the dark spots, he didn't sleep well last night, an unpleasant aura floating around him like a lead blanket. 

"Yes, mama?!" Eddie yelled back, eyes not leaving the mirror, still entranced with himself. 

He finally broke the trance with himself, feeling like he was sliding off the mirror. His breathing stopped for a moment, just a moment caught in time. 

He toweled his hair off for the final time after being out of the shower, his chestnut hair falling into his face, fingers frantically brushing it back out of his face. 

His feet were warm on the cold tile floors. As he was staring down at the slick linoleum, his mind raced with the pressing thought of what it would be like if he slipped and fell, how horrible it would feel crashing his skull against the ground, how the blood would bubble to the surface, how the- 

"Eddie! You have some visitors!" His mother yelled, interrupting his spiraling thoughts. 

Eddie found that sentence odd; he didn't have anyone who visited him in Derry, why would someone in L.A. want to see him? Nonetheless Eddie padded out of the bathroom and down the stairs, quickly removing the plastic wrap around his cast as he went. 

As he reached his last step he looked up from his feet, always careful on the stairs ever since the fall, to see six children staring at him with their own unique expression on their face. 

His mother smiled at him, gesturing for Eddie to come closer. 

Eddie smiled awkwardly as he waved to them. 

"These are some children from the neighborhood, Eddie Bear!" She said smiling, Eddie turned red at the embarrassing tone in front of six complete strangers, "Go ahead now and introduce yourself." 

Eddie stepped forward, finally getting a good look at each kid. 

"I'm B-buh-buh-Bill." The tallest boy introduced, his smile wide and goofy like an invitation to continue whatever made him smile. 

He seemed to the the unannounced leader of the group, helming the greeting committee as the other kids stood behind him like ducklings following their mother. 

"Stan." The second boy said sticking his hand out all formal like. 

Stan was more frigid from the rest, a sensibility about him, even his curly hair was maintained in a orderly fashion. His smile was thin lipped and curt, his hands flying back into his pocket after he shook it. 

"I'm Beverly and this is Ben." The only girl greeted, her mop of red curls shaking as she nodded to the smallest boy, who was plump and stout, his smile sweet and bashful. 

The girl's clothes were simple but her eyes and understanding looks were far from that, a kind and dashing smile was flashed to Ben and made him blush. 

Ben seemed like the human embodiment of a strawberry, his shyness and polite smiles hid a sweetness and kindness overdrawn by the world. 

"I'm Mike!" Mike said with an inviting smile and an open hand shake like Stan, not as frigid but more out of friendly greeting than sharp manners. 

Even with two words Mike's voice was rich and knowing like the bark of a tree, his deep brown skin wrinkling as he smiled wider, happy to see Eddie accept his hand shake. 

Eddie stuck his hand out to the last boy, his big glasses reflecting back at him. 

The boy rejected his handshake for a high-five, laughing as he did so. 

"Richie Trashmouth Tozier." Richie said bowing, he was the only one to give his last name, interesting. 

Sonia clasped her hands before pushing Eddie forward with a soft nudge. 

"You introduce yourself, I'm going to make lunch." Sonia said with a tremble in her voice, his mother's usual mix of disparity and vagueness ever present in her tone. 

Eddie stood in front of the kids awkwardly, he rubbed his cast with his other arm.

"I'm Eddie, but I guess you guys already knew that." Eddie said flashing an awkward smile, "do you guys want to come in? My mom is making lunch," 

"Sh-sh-sure!" Bill agreed before crossing the threshold of the house, slipping his shoes off once he did, a polite gesture. 

"Nah, we just wanted to come here to sniff your mom's panties." Richie said with a wide shit eating grin "of course we'd like to, Eds!" 

Eddie took a moment to process what the boy had said to him, each thing upsetting in its own way. 

Eddie tried to form a response, something to rebuttal such indecency but all that came out was- 

"Don't call me Eds." 

Richie laughed again, throwing his head back this time. 

"Hey! We're guests here! Be nice." Mike said nudging Richie's side. 

There was an easy flow between the kids, something it took years to obtain. Eddie wondered if one day they'd be like that, together. 

"Hey! When did you become Stan?" Richie asked incredulously, looking up at Mike. 

"Leave me out of this, Trashmouth." Stan grumbled as he pushed past the both of them. 

Eddie ducked his head, enthralled by them and completely horrified at the same time. 

"Don't worry about Richie, he grows on you, he's just got that thing that movie stars do." Ben whispered as he walked beside Eddie, making him jump a bit. 

The boy's voice was as sweet as he looked, as small and timid as he was. 

"Whatcha guys gabbing about? Latest issues of teen magazine?" Richie yelled over his shoulder, turning around to flash that crooked and buck toothed grin. 

"How your mom smells like pig shit!" Beverly called back "none of your business, Tozier."

Beverly swung her arms over Ben and Eddie's shoulders. 

"I think we all need to eat." Bill said shaking his head "y-y-you guys need to be polite."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeat'd all horrible grammar is all my own. Kudos and comments make my day!!


	4. Bill Denbrough’s house and Bill Denbrough’s Georgie.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Bill, Georgie and Pennywise became the first ghosts at the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is major violence and implied suicide at the end of the chapter so if you’re not comfortable with that you can just skip the end or this chapter all together, it’s a background chapter is all.

Bill watched the clown interact with his brother at Georgie’s birthday party. 

The clown was tall, very tall, orange hair in tuffs at the side, an odd balding wig for such a young man under all that makeup. Bill new he was young, his eyes gave it away, too frantic to be an old tired clown, just young enough to be bitter. 

Bill’s eyes flicked to the ground the clown’s startlingly blue ones met his, only for a frightful moment where he felt he’d be caught red handed staring at a man committing a crime. 

He focused now on Georgie, his sweet and then freshly seven-year-old brother. His deep blonde hair now free from the slick pompadour his mother put there for the photos. 

If Bill had gotten his hair out of place his mother would have gone into the hysterics, fretting over every small detail of her too tall child. 

The almost all the other children from the block were invited as well, Georgie was a popular boy, so to speak. Any granny would see him and want to scoop him up, pinch his cheeks and send him on his way with a pocket of candy. 

Georgie considered everyone his friend, from the post man to the stray cat that bit him the week before. Bill told him not to touch that cat, probably rabid, yet he did it anyway. 

Still, Georgie was fine, his bright eyes shining as always when he held the gutter worn cat in his small arms, rubbing its head against his cheek. 

That cat was there, running along between Georgie’s legs, Bill was vigilant to make sure pair wouldn’t stumble over one another. 

Their mother’s phonograph rattles out another jazz classic, the heavy and smooth tones of saxophone rattled the air and wrapped around the gleeful cries of children, all swarming Georgie with hugs and endearments, everything his brother deserved. 

“Billy, dear.” His mother said with a wistful sigh, a careful and motherly hand grasping his shoulder as she did so “your father and I are going out for the evening with a couple of other parents, the nanny will clean for you. Now go gather your brother and his chums to say goodbye to one another.” 

Bill nodded, watching every word as the precisely pushed out of his mother’s mouth, studying how she didn’t even stammer or stutter once in such a winded sentence. 

“Yes...” Bill trailed, focusing all his mental fortitude to complete the sentence without a stutter “Mother.” 

His mother beamed and wrapped her hands around his cheeks with a wide and brilliant smile. 

“You’re doing so well!” She complemented patting his cheeks, her crooked smile flashing a mirror image of his own. 

Bill wondered how he’d gotten so lucky to movie out west, have a caring and attentive family, live in an illustriously built home designed by his father for him and Georgie alone in mind. 

Bill sighed a content sigh, forgetting to breathe as he counted his blessings. 

“Come on n-now!” He called across the lawn, nerves getting the best of him as he spoke, a flush and shake rising in him “curfew is soon, y-your parents want you home!” 

Bill let out a breath of relief, only one word caught him, next time it’d be none. 

The pomp and sharply dressed young children waved their goodbye to Georgie, giving the occasional, overly zealous hug that was utterly unique to early childhood. 

Bill patted each on the head as they left, nodding his own goodbyes, saving them all the shame of his own disadvantages. 

He could already see the Nanny in the back, sweeping and cleaning the left over cutlery, folding table clothes and what not, simple nanny duties. 

What he didn’t see was Georgie.

His heart beat rose for three seconds and not three seconds more, before his racing mind snagged on the thought of Georgie spending an extra long goodbye with a granny who had the promise of caramels. 

Bill shook his head at the prospect of his little brother’s impossible charisma for a small boy, fresh out of toddlerhood but quickly approaching adolescence as Bill himself grew closer to adulthood. 

He smoothed the front of his waistcoat with his hands, pressing the starched clothing into its proper place with a satisfying and gentle bubble and crackle. 

“Want a balloon?” A voice like static asked, startling Bill quite thoroughly. 

Bill jolted straight up, no shout leaving him but a yelp barely caught the air. 

He turned on his heels to see the clown, Pennywise was his name. 

Pennywise was huge and looming, his orange tufts less comical and more ominous as they ruffled in the night breeze, his big red nose bulging out at him like an obscenity. 

Bill looked at the dirty costume, much dirtier than before, now downtrodden with small muddy footprints, scrapes and scratches as he was close enough to examine. 

There on the glove that held the outstretched red balloon was blood, a dripping and ghastly sight of blood. 

Bill let out a scream this time, the simple shock before comparing nothing to such a sight. 

The clown laughed and laughed his helium laugh as Bill chugged along his house, trying to get to the basement door, trying to get to the shotgun in the basement. 

He slid across the wood floors, twisting and turning as he ran from the tail tail jangling of the clown’s dancing shoes. 

Bill didn’t have time to think of what the blood might’ve meant, who it belonged to, he didn’t even dare as he fled down the stairs, flipping the light on with a smack as he trampled the steps. 

He didn’t remember to lock the door but he knew a lock was no match for a young man in his prime, running full force after a child. 

Bill hurdled every last box and bump in the dark of the basement, the only thing now clear to him was the shotgun and the shells kept in the back. He would do whatever to get to it. 

Pennywise wasn’t far behind him now, skipping steps of the rickety stairs with his long and limber legs, stepping over the hurdles that Bill had faced and kicked in the clown’s path. 

Bill’s hands wrapped around the gun, shaking with the tremor of a trumpet, shells easily loading into the gun two by two. 

Pennywise was almost a meter away from him now but it was too late for the clown, Bill’s hands were trembling just like his voice but still he gripped the firearm. The gun was in his face. 

“Who’s blood is it, clown?” Bill accused, shoving the gun at the menacing man. 

Pennywise put his hands up in defeat. 

“A joke gone too far I suppose.” His static tone rang out once more. 

The ichor on his hands was almost dry now, but the chill still ran down Bill’s spine. 

“A joke on who?!” Bill accused, his bravery flaring now as he stepped over a lump on the ground, gun still point at the clown’s chest. 

The clown laughed an unsettling laugh, the one of a man who’s already one, his sick game already played before they could assemble it. 

“You just stepped over him.” Pennywise wheezed.

Bill kept the gun on the clown as he looked down. 

Georgie. 

His arm torn off like it was bit off. 

Blood pooled him, ghostly white and ashen. 

Bill almost dropped the shotgun in shock. 

Was it shock? 

Could seeing your brother’s corpse and murderer in the same breathe be called shock? Where you were judge and jury for a man criminally insane before the eyes of god? 

It couldn’t’ve been shock. 

Shock would have made Bill drop the gun. 

Bill just pulled the trigger. 

The man dropped, bones and body crunches as he fell, an awful squelch as he landed. 

The gun shot rung loud enough to make Bill’s ears ring like door bell, so loud he barely heard the gentle voice crying out to him. 

The voice on top the stairs. 

The voice of his brother. 

That was shock. 

Bill hurdled the young clown, his last rasping breathes falling on the pavement of the basement. 

He felt tears prick in his eyes of remorse and fear, his heart stopping in his chest to travel to his throat as he stood at the bottom of the stairs. 

There Georgie stood. 

His hair was messy and clumped with blood, his stump of a right arm drip drip dripping. 

“Join me, Billy.” He whispered stepping closer “it’s cold and I’m scared, I need you here.” 

Bill didn’t need to ask where. 

He didn’t need to ask Georgie what was so cold. 

He knew what it was he was asking. 

He couldn’t deny his baby brother a birthday wish. 

He just killed a man, a grown man now with no evidence against him. 

He understood Georgie’s plea. He’d go cold for Georgie. He’d let he’ll freeze him over, but he wouldn’t let his brother go out into the rain without a coat. 

Bill Denbrough made himself freeze.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeat’d and written at 2:00 am so plent o errors, sorry. Kudos and comments make my day!


	5. Halloween Eve Pt.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The losers are over for a uneventful night at Eddie’s but like always it doesn’t turn out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bowers gang arrives

“I’ll be back no later than midnight, okay dear?” Sonia Kaspbrak assured, hands wrapping tight around Eddie’s small shoulders. 

Eddie did his best to act like he was nervous, but not too nervous, he was actually gasping for breath under his mother, her ever anxious grip tighter than ever. 

Sonia Kaspbrak had a date for the first time since Eddie’s father died, who the hell would want to date such an awful and anxious woman. 

Eddie sighed and frowned before she cupped his cheeks, patting them lightly. 

“Dinner is all cooked up for you and your...friends...are you sure you feel safe with them?” She asked, her eyes teary and fretful. 

Eddie knew his mother’s destain for his friends, no matter how weakly she tried to hide it, it was extremely obvious. 

“Yes, mama, I’m sure.” Eddie assured. 

Sonia patted his cheeks before she stood up, her makeup was garish and too much, she probably hadn’t worn makeup since she first got married. 

Eddie waved a small goodbye as his mother slid out the big wooden door of the house, the stain glass shimmering as the October night sky. 

Eddie felt his heart catch in his throat, it was the eve of Halloween and his friends were coming over to watch Beetlejuice with him, that took as much convincing to his mother as her letting him be home alone with his friends. 

Right as the door swung almost closed a pale hand slipped through and grabbed it. 

“Heya, Eds!” Richie yelled as he slammed the door open, speech muffled by the glow in the dark vampire teeth. 

Eddie didn’t have to guess what he said, it was always how he greeted him. 

“Don’t call me that, you know I hate it.” Eddie grumbled as he ushered the other losers in. 

Bev greeted him with a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, making him blush deeper than when Richie lamely flirted with him. He quickly rubbed his cheek like there was something on it. 

Ben looked almost betrayed but Bev quickly snagged him as he walked by, pressing a kiss to his forehead. 

“Should we eat first, play spin the bottle or watch the movie?!” Richie called from the kitchen. 

“No one wants to kiss your ugly mug, go get the lasagna you roach!” Stan yelled back as he slipped off his shoes. 

Eddie laughed, Stan and Richie could grumble at each other for ages like old ladies on a porch, maybe to rabid cats. 

Mike clapped a hand on Eddie’s back before they walked into the kitchen, muscular arms heavy over his shoulders as he walked behind him. 

“So are you guys gonna trick or treat tomorrow?” Eddie asked, eyes flashing between each child as he asked, all color draining from their faces, “my mom might let me go if I go with you guys.” 

The silence filled over them like a thick fog, choking all life out of the conversation. 

“Well, I’m gonna be with Eddie’s mom all day so I can’t go!” Richie barked out a laugh, pushing Bill’s arm in his wake of laughter. 

Bill shoved him back, muttering something about ‘how it’s n-not funny.’ 

Ben cleared his throat, nodding to the lasagna on stove, steaming with a promising flavor of comfort and ooey gooey cheesy goodness. 

“Yeah, I’m famished, I feel like I haven’t eaten in decades.” Bev said nudging Mike, “c’mon let’s dish up.” 

The plating of the lasagna was quiet, unlike usual but it was the dinner that was the best part, they all broke the house rule and sat in the living room, warm plates snuggly in their laps. 

Quickly Richie pushed the DVD into the player, running back like a mad man before dive bombing the couch next to Eddie, making him almost spill his lasagna. 

“Hey! Watch it, asshole!” Eddie barked before stuffing a fork of lasagna into his mouth to calm his flaring temper. 

“Awe, want me to kiss your bad attitude better?” Richie asked. He continued to make kissing noises until Eddie punched his shoulder while he steadied his plate in his lap. 

“Shut up, g-guys the movie is starting.” Bill whispered. 

The movie was wonderful, he knew it was only the beginning but the couple was charming, they seemed like people Eddie would want to have over for dinner. 

Eddie couldn’t wait to watch their journey, see them live their lives and- 

“They just die?!” Eddie cried incredulously “right off the bat?!” 

The other kids broke out laughing at Eddie’s uproar, but it wasn’t his fault he hadn’t seen the movie before! 

“You can always hold onto me if you get scared.” Richie suggested, eyebrows wiggling, but Eddie shoved him again. 

They continued to watch the movie in almost silence, the occasional bicker between Stan and Richie, Ben’s occasional trivia and Mike’s reminders that it was Eddie’s first time to watch the movie so they should all keep quiet. 

It was the first time they saw Beetlejuice was when a great clatter arose from the kitchen, making Eddie jump. 

“What was that?” Ben asked nervously, eyes flicking back to the closed door of the kitchen. 

Eddie shook his head and waved his hand. 

“It’s okay, I’ll go clean up whatever it was.” He assured, nodding “I need to take my plate back with me anyways.” 

Eddie stood up off the couch, disrupting Richie’s gangly legs that he laid across him, making him whine. 

Richie stuck his tongue out at him as he walked away, Eddie flipped him off in return. 

Eddie laughed as he stared at his feet, pressing the door closed with his back, steadying his plate on the back of his cast. 

His eyes slid up slowly, an uneasy feeling falling upon him, a feeling he wasn’t alone. He finally brought himself to fight the fear and discomfort to see four figures standing there. 

Eddie dropped his plate, not even flinching as plate shattered on his feet, he was in too much shock to see the four teenage boys. 

Each boy was unique in their shape and stance, standing behind one boy with a mullet, a mullet in 2017. 

The mullet boy was the leader, like Bill was the leader of their losers club, the mullet boy was his. 

“Henry, whadda think? Will he do?” The tallest boy spoke, nudging the leader with wild eyes. 

Eddie yelped before he booked out of the kitchen, racing down the hall as the four boys chased after him, sliding on his socks into the living room where his other friends were. 

He patted himself for his inhaler but it was no where to be found, it was upstairs and he didn’t have time to get it, he’d be cornered by the home invaders and it’d go to shit. 

Eddie wheezed aimlessly, trying to alert his friends but the set of four pounding footsteps trampling after him was warning enough. 

He leaned against the doorway, brown eyes blown wide, all the other children rushed to him, sticking their heads down the hall seeing what he had before in the kitchen. 

Eddie lurched back in terror as a pair of wide and big hands gripped his shoulders, belonging to the dark hair who spoke earlier. 

Next thing he knew he was flying through the air, a feeling that made his stomach drop, then slamming him into the wall, head first. 

Next thing he knew he was flat on the ground, everything starting to go black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeat’d like always. Kudos and comments make my day!!


	6. Halloween eve Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conclusions to the home invasion feat. Badass ghost kids.

Richie watched as Eddie struggled to stay awake, mailable like putty in the teenage boys’ hands as they tied him to a chair from the kitchen, using duck tape, what were they thinking with duck tape? Were they trying to fix a car door mirror? 

Mike was the last to go down, he was the most damaged, he put up a fight and that was the mistake. 

Richie and the rest of the losers knew if they disappeared right now, if they slid into that world they only them and the clown existed in, Eddie would see it happen, so they had to get captured along with Eddie. 

The mullet dickhead was the one calling the shots, doing most of the beating while his buddies tied them up, one by one. 

They were brutal, unforgiving and not knowing of their own strength, he watched Bill’s neck snap as the bleached blonde boy threw him into the wall, they didn’t seem to care that he stopped moving for five minutes, they just picked him up and put him in a chair next to the semi conscious Eddie. 

Bill woke up still, wasn’t the first time he had his neck snapped in the house, wasn’t going to be the last. His neck set back into place with a horrifying ‘pop’ that always made Richie cringe. 

Tears ran down Bill’s cheeks from the pain, it never stopped hurting, you think you’d build up a resistance or tolerance to such pain after time and time again but no, it kept hurting. 

Richie was lucky, they only broke one of his ribs, he felt it bend with a crack as he struggled into the seat, kicking and screaming at the boys. 

“Mullets died in the 80’s for a reason, asshole.” Richie hissed at his captors, spitting a wad of saliva and blood at his feet. 

Richie’s eyes flashed to the clock, 10:30, they had to wait an hour and a half before they could get rid of the intruders, Richie wouldn’t want to deal with these assholes for eternity. 

The dark haired boy who lightly concussed Eddie huffed a laugh, looming over all of them with his immense height. 

“Why don’t we just kill them now?!” The stout one hissed “c’mon Henry, it’s almost midnight, it’s close enough.” 

The mullet boy, Henry, shook his head. 

“No!” He snapped “we kill them on Halloween, at midnight, like the Denbrough murders.”

Bill rolled his eyes, even Richie knew that was inaccurate. 

Eddie groaned and hissed, eyes fluttering open and closed. 

“Plus, we gotta have fun with ‘em first.” Henry smirked. It was unnerving and made Richie’s blood boil, the whole demeanor of the boy was like that. 

Richie watched with wide eyes and Bev shook her head, coming to consciousness after the blonde boy had taken her legs out from under her and sent her smacking her skull on the hardwood floor. 

All of the children were aware now, watching the invaders with glazed over eyes. 

Poor Ben was brutalized first, right after Eddie went down they trapped him first, carving into his stomach with a pocket knife. 

“Who here is afraid of fire?” The dark haired boy asked, flicking a can of hairspray on behind a lighter, sending a ball of fire straight at Stan’s tear stained face. 

Mike pulled back and flinched from the fire, knowing damn well what it could do. 

The boy noticed his apprehension, his wide grin growing wider like a crocodile. 

He lumbered over to Mike, grin plastered there, maniacal as ever as his friends watched in delight. 

He flicked the lighter on again, letting the fire lick closer and closer to Mike’s skin, before he closed it off as a sizzle of hairs hissed in the air. 

He pulled back for a second before doing it again. 

“Two for flinching.” He whispered, face inches from Mike’s, Mike hissed and spat at him. 

The boys laughed in delight at the Mike’s defiance, pushing and shoving one another, silently deciding who to pick on next. 

“I bet a CVS parking lot is missing their local assholes.” Bev hissed at them, struggling against her restraints. 

They laughed again at her remark, giving her another kick to the shins, making them laugh louder. 

“Leave her alone!” Ben barked at them, his bravery sudden and strong but it was no fucking use. 

Stan trembled as he tried to hold in his tears, that was something Stan was never good at, Richie could see the way Mike and Bill balled their fists when tears kept flowing down his cheeks. 

“Awh, looks like someone’s scared” the heavyset boy teased in a mocking sing-song tone. 

“I’m not scared.” Stan lied. Stan was scared of pain, even after death he couldn’t help his fear of discomfort. “I’m just in pain.” 

Richie noticed how Eddie’s eyes got wider before he fell back asleep, of course he wouldn’t recover as fast as them. 

“Who’s next huh?” Henry mocked “I say we wake sleepy head up, make em watch as we beat Bucky beaver’s face in.” 

Henry loomed over to Eddie but Richie what he was best at, he ran his mouth. 

“Hey! Ratface, Bucky Beaver here to say you leave him alone.” Richie growled, leaning forward. Henry turned around, wild and untamed eyes fixing onto him like a predator on its prey. “Yeah, fuckface, I’m talking to you, you leave him alone or I’ll kill you!” He spat out, faster than the intruders could probably comprehend but his venom was there. 

Henry raised his hand to his lemmings, signaling them to lay off, Richie knew he was in deep shit. 

“What did you say, fag?” He whispered, his tone dangerously soft. 

The boys laughed at his insult, but Richie’s eyes were plastered on Eddie’s unconscious shell, momentarily flashing to the clock. 

11:30

It was time. 

“I said I’m going to fucking kill you!” Richie yelled before throwing his head full force into Henry’s, sending them both reeling back. 

Maybe that wasn’t the best move but Richie was going to recover much faster than that rat ever would. 

Without a second thought Richie disappeared out of the realm of the living, back to where he could slip out of his bonds, the rest following suit as Eddie was surely out cold. 

“Henry! What the fuck?!” The bleached blonde shrieked, hiding behind the boy who was shaped like a brick wall. 

Henry quickly got to his feet, wobbling as he looked around for his now missing captives. 

Richie rubbed the blood from his nose bled off onto the back of his hand, sniffing before snapping back into their world to land a punch right into Henry’s eye. 

The young man fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, dropping like a dead body would. The three other boys pulled back in horror, little did they know it was only the beginning. 

Mike was able to snatch the lighter out of the dark haired boy’s hand, crushing it on the ground beneath his foot, grabbing the teenager’s head and bringing it to meet his knee as well. 

They had to be careful, they couldn’t kill them, not yet. 

The two boys scrambled to the back door, only to be met by Stan and Beverly, the cut’s on Stan’s face now clear along with his tears. 

“Ben!” Bill said sharply “go wake Eddie and take him upstairs.” 

Ben nodded, scurrying over to where Eddie was waking up again. 

“What’s-whats going on?” Eddie groaned, grogginess heavy in his voice “oh my god- my mom- if she finds out I have to move!” 

He looked at the two unconscious teenagers at his feet and yelped, only quelled by Ben’s soothing shushing. 

“Let’s go into you room- now, these guys will fix everything here, we need to leave.” Ben explained, hand out reached as he helped him up. 

The scene was so touching Richie forgot all about the murderous teenagers unconscious at his feet. 

Ben quickly escorted Eddie upstairs and out of sight, letting the losers really get to exact their revenge. 

Bill took a knee beside Henry’s head, smiling down at him with his goofy smile. 

“I died in S-September, get your facts s-straight.” Bill said as Henry was slowly coming to, seeing Bill in his entirety, back of his head blown off like a bomb hit it. “Get the f-f-fuck out of my h-h-house before I make you stay here, f-forever.” He said, tone sharper than the pocket knife Henry carried on him. 

The big grandfather clock struck midnight, bells ringing out through the living room. 

Finally. 

Halloween. 

“We’ll help you out of here.” Mike said, so cold it didn’t even sound like him, he was in his entirety as well, the right side of his face smoldering and bubbling like tar. 

Henry shot up to his feet faster than a bullet, the other two boys already left out the back door, leaving only Henry and the pyro, waking up himself. 

“Go.” Richie growled “or we’ll kill you off property so we don’t have to kill you again and again for the rest of eternity.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written at 2:00 am so all horrible grammar is my own. Kudos and comments make my day!!


	7. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie Kaspbrak cannot believe what the hell just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Relatively short chapter here lads but it’s got all the fluff for your soul, should have a longer chapter up tomorrow.

Eddie heaved as he took another puff of his inhaler, Ben staring up at him with worry in his gaze, but otherwise ambivalent about the home intruders. 

Eddie just remembered getting thrown against the wall, then he was running up stairs with Ben. 

Ben wiggles a book off the bookcase and picked a chapter open, he picked Eddie’s favorite book; a wrinkle in time. 

“You’ve read this book a lot huh? You take care of it so it’s pristine but the pages move smoothly.” Ben deducted, hands sliding across the paper back. 

Eddie flailed his arms above his head, huffing in exasperation at his calmness. 

“How can you be so calm about this?!” Eddie whisper screamed at Ben, hand balled at his side. 

“The boys are already gone, they took care of it, if there’s one thing us losers do it’s protect one another.” Ben explained, tone even and soothing, his hand outstretched for Eddie to take it. “The only thing they’re doing right now is cleaning up before your mom gets home.” 

Eddie’s heart stopped, if there was one thing worse than getting your home invaded by mullet laden teenagers it was Eddie’s mother in a fit. 

He still remembers the wails of when he fell down the stairs, how the fuck would she react to a goddamn home invasion? 

“Fuck, fuck, dude- I am having a panic attack!” Eddie shrieked, Ben holding his hand as he flailed his cast covered arm. Eddie puffed his inhaler once more, hoping it’d help. 

“It’s okay, you trust me right? Then trust me when I say I’m here for you.” He said before smiling softly. The boy was pure sunshine and fresh linens, clean and gentle. 

Eddie nodded, wiping the tears off his cheeks with his cast. Eddie hated how he cried when he got scared, he always did it but it was okay, he was only thirteen, he was allowed to cry. 

His mother never told him so but the parent books he read at night told him so, he was comfortable with something written in a book telling him that. 

“Are you sure?” Eddie asked fretfully, eyes dashing to the door. 

“I’m sure. Richie’ll be up soon, just you wait.” Ben assured, kind smile beaming bright again. 

His watch went off, signaling him to take his medicine. 

He tugged his hand from Ben’s and went over to his dresser, fishing out the blue pill organizer. 

“How many times a day do you take your medicine?” Ben asked, hands politely crossed in his lap. 

Eddie never gave it a second thought, so he took a moment, counting all the beeps that he always obeyed without a second thought. 

“Five; One when I wake up, one after breakfast, one after lunch, one after dinner one before bed.” Eddie explained, shaking out, he swallowed them dry, hearing his mother chastise him in the back of his mind. 

Before he could sit back on his bed the door swung open, Richie standing in the door way. 

Eddie startled at the sound due to recent events but calmed when he saw the familiar gleam of Richie’s glasses. 

“It’s-“ Richie stopped to heave, if this is half of what Eddie sounded like it must’ve been unnerving “it’s okay, Mike and Bill got them out, Stan and Bev are doing damage control on the house and cleaning it.” 

Eddie’s anxiety pounced on him again, oh fuck what if his mother found a broken plate? Or some duct tape? She’d know and he’d go through rounds of therapy, new meds, new house, new friends- 

“Eds?” Richie asked waving his hand in front of Eddie’s face “Eds? You in there?” 

“Don’t call me that.” Eddie snapped, but it was sharper than a bite or a lashing out, the sharpest tone was fear. 

Richie sat down next Eddie, Ben on the other side with his cool blue eyes worrying over him. 

“I know it was a scary experience, but that’s why I’m up here. I want to make sure you’re okay.” Richie nodded, a comforting smile being giving to him like a hug “do you want us to to spend the night? We can all sleep up here to make sure you’re okay.” 

Eddie took a moment to consider the offer. The losers club was a family, closer than Eddie had ever experienced. They were closer in the way Eddie needed, not suffocating but understanding, not distant but comfortable in silence, a silence that Richie usually broke. 

“I’m gonna go check on Bev.” Ben announced sitting up, giving a quick hug to Eddie before scampering down stairs. 

Richie and Eddie stared at one another, breathes caught, tears still trickling down Eddie’s cheeks. 

“It was scary.” Eddie said, “seeing black then opening my eyes to see two teenagers on the ground, while I was tied up.” 

Eddie rubbed his tears off with his non casted hand, Richie caught it and wrapped his hand around it. 

“It was scary to watch you like that, it sounds crazy but I was happy you were asleep cause they messed up Bill pretty bad, he got a black eye.” Richie explained, his other hand clasping Eddie’s hand. 

Eddie sniffed and held back tears, what else didn’t he see? Maybe Richie was hiding something from him? 

No. 

Richie didn’t lie. 

“Did you get them?” Eddie asked, eyes flicking up to meet Richie’s liquid brown ones, pouring pure empathy. 

Richie chuckled, a sad imitation of his normal cackling. It made Eddie’s heart break in two. 

“Yeah, we got ‘em good. They were so fucked up, one was running sideways, practically shit his pants when I got near em with a bat!” Richie exclaimed, spinning a yarn like Bill always did, but this one was a story of real life heroics, just down he stairs. “And the big guy who threw you? Mike dropped him like a son of a bitch! I almost broke his face ‘cause of what he did to you, but he was all Mike’s.” 

It was hard to think of the caring and gentle Mike being a vengeful soul, his calm demeanor wasn’t one that held storms behind his eyes but green pastors and sunflowers. 

“You’re shitting me!” Eddie laughed, all down stairs he had his own personal heroes. 

“No way! I’d bring up back for another ass kicking but they couldn’t handle it!” Richie said punching Eddie’s arm. 

The two laughed and laughed, shaking the bed with their laughter. 

Until all of a sudden it stopped, just sucked out of them like a breathe of air. 

Eddie was in a limbo with Richie, his eyes flashing down to his lips before back to his eyes, apparently Richie had done the same thing. 

Oh god now Eddie’s hands were sweaty, his breathing was getting ragged, he had just experienced a truly traumatic event but this was the most nervous he’d ever been. 

He could feel Richie’s heart beat, he felt it’s humming bird’s pace, it was in time with Eddie’s. 

Fuck fuck he was going to need his inhaler and ruin the whole thing, his mother would be home any second so he didn’t have another moment to spare. 

He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to Richie’s lips, pulling back after a second, kind missing his lips on one half but it didn’t really matter. 

He just shut up the Trashmouth himself. 

“Tomorrow, meet me at the beach down the street, 15 bike ride, 8 o’clock sharp.” Richie whispered. 

Eddie didn’t have time to respond, because his mother rung the door bell. 

Eddie shot up, throwing himself out of his sitting position and into the hallway down the stairs, racing to get the door. 

“Edward I can’t believe it!” She shrilled as the door flew open. 

Oh shit. 

Oh fuck. 

She knew. 

“You left all the lights on in the house and you’re up past your bedtime!” 

Whew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeat’d like always, sorry for the grammar. Kudos and comments make my day!!


	8. Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie goes out with Richie for some Halloween fun, the night is full of tricks and treats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some referenced child neglect so be warned

“We’re only going trick or treating!” Eddie lied, his tone pleading with his mother. 

There had been no sight of any of the losers all day, so he didn’t have their consensus on how to lie to his mother. 

His mother patted his cheeks, tears slowly falling down her own, Eddie never knew how the woman was able to cry on command like she did. 

She sniffed, black mascara running down her cheeks like some bad soap opera, every day he spent in that house, every second he was there he felt his distain for his mother grow. 

Eddie didn’t know he was capable of hate, until he moved into the house, the more he was away from his mother, the more a bitter taste grew in his mouth when he looked at her. 

“My little Eddie Bear is growing up, one day you’re not gonna need me anymore!” She wailed, rubbing her tears off with the back of her hand, eyes sliding down to see if Eddie was paying attention. 

“I’ll always need you!” Eddie chirped, the lie tasting like dust as it came out. 

Eddie was going to be like Richie when he grew up, they were gonna grow up together and run away; Richie with his stupid music and stupid voices he did, he’d be famous somehow. Eddie didn’t know what he wanted to be, maybe something where he could be clean and calm. 

“You swear you’ll be safe? Home by 10:00?” She asked as she pulled him into a suffocating hug, Eddie wanted to gag at her perfume. “What will you even dress up as?” She asked, trying to find a way to keep him from going out. 

“Marty McFly.” Eddie replied easily. 

He knew his mother hadn’t seen he movie so he could wear just about anything to go out. 

She nodded, faking a weak smile. 

Eddie scampered up the stairs, smiling to himself at the clever and quick lie. 

He threw on his orange vest, looking in the mirror to see if he looked alright. 

It was his first date after all. 

Wait, was it a date? 

Oh fuck oh fuck- he needed to look way better than he already did, he needed to put some product in his hair, he needed to shower cause he smelled awful, his cast was dingy, and it was 7:30 oh fuck! 

He didn’t have time, he had to go, he wanted to get there before Richie, just to calm down. 

Eddie gave himself a puff of his inhaler for preparation. 

He grabbed a pillowcase to really sell his act, waving goodbye to his mother and he got his bike out of the garage. 

Then he was off. 

Eddie had only been to this beach once, when his mother and him had first moved there. 

Eddie was excited to get out of the house, he hadn’t hung out with any of the losers outside of the house before, he was glad to get a change of venue. 

The cool October air was just enough for Eddie to wear jeans, in Derry he’d be in a full winter coat by now, the first snap of cold and his mother had him on every medicine for the common cold imaginable. 

L.A. was weird like that, no one smiled when you made eye contact with them, they were just in a rush. Eddie liked it though, the feeling of being another kid on the street, zooming past little trick or treaters, not the homeschooled freak. 

He only stopped once to ask from directions, the sun setting now, the grandmother he asked telling him to get home before the teenagers went out. 

As Eddie got closer to the beach he hopped off his bike not liking how the sand was for riding on his bike. He cursed the sand as it got into his sneakers, loathing the grainy feeling between his toes. 

He was so busy being disgruntled at the sand between his toes he didn’t notice the dark figure running towards him, full force, with big gleaming glasses, a huge shit eating grin, tackling him to the ground with a ‘thud!’ 

Eddie shrieked as the figure laughed, the laughter was uniquely Richie Tozier’s, his grin impossibly infectious. 

“You motherfucker!” Eddie yelled punching Richie’s arm, trying to wiggle out from under him. 

“Indeed I am! How’s your mom doing? I can’t believe she left me for some schmo!” Richie teased, leaning down to Eddie’s face, dangerously close. “What about you, Eds, you gonna give me some sweet sugar like you did last night?” He asked wiggling his eyebrows, he then puckered his lips for a kiss and made kissy sounds. 

Eddie slapped him, hard enough for a sound to echo but not too much to hurt, too badly. 

“It was a heat of the moment thing!” Eddie lied, “maybe I felt a little indebted to you for saving me.” 

Richie smiled as he stood up, wiggling his eyebrows again, brushing the sand off of him. 

“Alright, I got my eye on you Kaspbrak. C’mon! It’s so beautiful! Let’s go start a bonfire!” Richie said smiling, buzzing over him like a bee. 

Richie ran around like a dog going on a walk for the first time in ages, spazzing out as he kicked the tides getting closer and closer. 

Eddie giggled, he loved watching Richie like this, his natural state of him just being wild. 

“C’mon!” Richie said running over to him, catching Eddie’s hands in his owns and spinning him in a circle “It’s Halloween! The best holiday ever! Dance with me!” 

“Dance to what?” Eddie asked, laughing impeding his speech. 

“To what fucking ever! It’s the beach!” Richie yelled, head thrown back in glee. 

Richie let Eddie’s hands go, making them fly to the ground again, Richie landing first and Eddie right on top of him. 

“Richie!” Eddie cried “You could have made me break my other arm!”

Richie laughed again before sitting upright, like something just dawned on him. 

He fished something out of the multiple pockets of his cargo shorts, tongue stuck out in frustration. 

“Aha!” Richie said holding a red sharpie over his head in triumph “I got this for you...I was tired of looking at the ‘loser’ all the time, I bet you are too.” 

Eddie furrowed is brow looking at the sharpie and back at his cast. It was a grim reminder. 

“Here! Gimme!” Richie said pointing to his arm. 

Hesitantly, Eddie gave it to him, letting it rest in his lap, a little awkward angle but it was alright. 

“What are you writing?” Eddie asked, a little nervous, he didn’t exact have the best experience the last time someone wrote on his cast, obviously. 

Richie didn’t respond other than a hum, focused on his work. 

“Done! My masterpiece is complete!” He announced letting go of Eddie’s arm.

Eddie looked at the cast he had written a ‘V’ over the ‘S’ in ‘Loser’ making it ‘Lover’. 

“Beauty, ain’t she?” He asked in his best southern voice, the one Eddie disliked the most. 

“It looks nonsensical now!” Eddie griped, slender fingers running across the V over and over. 

“I like to think it has a certain- aesthetic. Cute and multidimensional like you, Mr. Kaspbrak.” Richie said before flashing his Bucky beaver smile. 

Eddie laughed before punching his arm, they were still sitting, close like before on the bed, their shins tucked underneath them. 

They were in limbo again, the ocean the only sound between them now, caught looking at each other like always. 

“Do you want me to kiss you this time?” Richie whispered, sarcasm dancing through his words. 

Eddie just wanted him to shut up again, knowing exactly how to do it. 

He quickly kissed him again, still awkward and new but they would get the hang of it eventually; pulling him in by the collar, hands still sweating. 

Richie tasted like smarties and mint, fucker had prepared for it. 

Eddie pulled back and huffed, cheeks redder than the ‘V’ on his cast. Pulling in on himself in embarrassment, blush climbing higher and higher on his face. 

Richie laughed again, the fucker was always laughing it seemed like, smiling toothy and wide. 

His hands caught Eddie’s again, squeezing them really quick, a blush almost on Richie’s cheeks. 

“Are you blushing?” Eddie asked leaning close, over zealously looking over Richie’s angled cheeks, studying the freckles there. 

“No fucking way! Ding cream your pants over it!” Richie said pushing Eddie off of him, his blush getting redder as Eddie pointed it out. 

Eddie laughed now, amazed to see the Trashmouth himself embarrassed. 

Richie stood up abruptly, his normal Hawaiian shirts traded in for a grey sweater due to the cold. 

He helped Eddie up, hands equally as sweaty as Eddie’s own, blush fading now. 

They walked in silence, Richie seemingly content at the outdoors, the sun almost completely set now, taking Eddie’s bike along, no place to lock it up at. 

They walked down the beach a bit to a fire pit, some embers there from the last person, left over wood on the side. 

“Ah! My fair sir! Let me light a fire for you to warm you from his terrible chill!” Richie said in his butler voice, bowing lightly. 

Eddie shoved him a bit, smiling but not quite laughing, pretending to be annoyed by the other boy’s antics. 

Eddie went to take his vest off but Richie beat him to it, helping him like a gentleman, still in his butler character. 

He put the vest on the ground for Eddie to sit on, gesturing to it with a curt smile, like a Stan smile. 

Eddie sat back on his heels, laughing as Richie ran around the fire pit, just enjoying the salty breeze of the ocean. 

“You gonna light the fire or what?” Eddie asked nodding to the wood there “got anything for it?” 

Richie went into his cargo shorts again, pulling out a silver zippo lighter. He built up the wood and tried to light it to no avail. 

“Do you have any cotton balls? In your fanny pack I mean.” Richie asked, eyes meeting his “I need it for the fire.” 

“Let me check,” He said reaching into his second fanny pack, just his reading glasses and inhaler, he reached into the first and had bandages, his medicine and- cotton balls! 

He threw the bunch of them at Richie, softly hitting his head, before landing in his lap. 

“Thank you, Eds!” He chirped, going back to his work, stuffing the cotton at the base of the fire. 

He flicked the lighter and caught the cotton on fire, the flames licking and flickering slowly. 

Richie ran, plopping himself down next to Eddie, nuzzling his head under his chin, hand lacing through Eddie’s. 

“It’s not gonna work,” Eddie whispered, shaking his head. 

“It’ll work!” Richie said pointed to the growing flames, “You nonbeliever!” 

Eddie laughed, low in his chest, comforted by having Richie there with him. 

The stared into the flames, hands intertwined with each other’s, Richie was quiet again, just happy to be with each other on the cold Halloween night. 

The ocean crashed and toiled aimlessly beside them, the tides rising higher and higher up the beach. 

Richie turned up to see Eddie, smiling up at him. 

“You’re very cute.” He said, pinching Eddie’s cheeks. 

“Shut up.” Eddie dismissed, hoping the fire wouldn’t show his blush. 

Richie sat up, pulling his body away from Eddie’s with much griping from Eddie, he was very warm after all. 

“I wanna stop by my house.” Richie said, his tone flat and empty “I just wanna check in on my parents.” 

Eddie nodded, the fire was dying down anyway. 

Richie’s uncharacteristic silence made Eddie uncomfortable, like there was this heavy weight on him. 

“Just hop on the pegs of your bike and hold on, I’ll take you there if you let me.” Richie suggested, straightening his clothing. 

Eddie nodded, he trusted Richie to bike them to wherever it was, apparently not too far away. 

The ride was pleasant, wherever they were going wasn’t too far away from his own house, maybe half a mile down the road. 

The children were all tucked away safe in their houses, the parents taking photos of them on their porches, or cleaning up the mess of trick or treaters. 

The streetlights humming over them, riding across train tracks after train tracks, going into houses much much smaller than his own, cozy and tightly crowded. 

“Here.” Richie said, coming to a screeching halt, making Eddie jerk forward. 

The house was small and dingy, trash littered the front of it, the blinds pulled tight, the windows barred. 

“C’mon, they keep a key under this rock.” Richie said kicking over a big rock by the door, revealing a shining silver key. 

The light Richie normally radiated now faded to a dull flicker, his motormouth silenced. 

He jimmied the door open, the thick and musty odor of alcohol wafting out like a cloud, the smell of weed and cigarettes blending to make Eddie gag. 

“You’ll get used to it.” Richie muttered as he stepped through the hazy doorway, his eyes lifeless and empty. 

Eddie followed him in wordlessly, shirt pulled over his face, inhaler ready in his hand. 

The house was dark, Eddie couldn’t take a step with out landing on some form of trash or cigarette butt. The carpet was crusty and sticky all at once, making him rings. 

“I do my best to clean it up...” Richie whispered as he picked up empty cigarette cases, beer cans and whatever was laying around, “my dad is a dentist, he doesn’t have time to take care of my mom.” 

Eddie would help him but there was no start, no middle, no end, just trash, smoke and booze. 

Richie didn’t even look like it was taxing, he was just doing his job, a job he was too good at from years of practice. 

Richie padded over to the trash can, dropping his armful of trash into the trash can. He didn’t look so much sad but more embarrassed, already accepting it as his fate but embarrassed Eddie had to see it. 

“You can go wait outside, you don’t have to be here.” Richie dismissed, waving his hand “I’m just gonna say hi and check in with my mom really quick.” 

“No! It’s okay, I’m just glad to be with you.” Eddie assured, stepping closer to hold his hand. 

Richie pulled his hand away, shaking his head as if to say ‘not here.’ Which Eddie got the message loud and clear. 

“You can wait here, I’m gonna go visit my mom alone.” Richie muttered, wondering down the hallway like he was on his way to the electric chair. 

Eddie wanted to give them space, something just didn’t feel right with any of this, the way Richie was acting it was like he hadn’t been home in years, like it was some sick nostalgia. 

Eddie stood near the wall, not daring to sit on the dilapidated couch, standing in his little island free of trash. 

Shit, he had to pee, he didn’t want to have to ride all the way back to his house, however far away it was, and having to pee, maybe he could use the bathroom there, if it was working. 

Quietly Eddie snuck down the hall, sliding past a slightly clean bedroom, lined wall to all in posters, pictures, set lists, a guitar and picks to go along with it. That must’ve been Richie’s room, it only made sense. 

He stood between two doors, the only other rooms in the small house, one was the room Richie’s mother must’ve been in, and the other the bathroom. 

Quickly Eddie slid into the bathroom, did his business and left as quickly and quietly as he could, rubbing his double washed hands across his jeans as he creeped past the door of the unknown room.

“Mom! It’s me! I’m home! Can’t you see that?!” Richie’s voice echoed, he sounded like he was stuffy and sniffing. 

“I can see you’re home! That’s what I’m asking you to go get me another pack of goddamn cigarettes.” A female voice growled, loud just like Richie, his mother. 

Eddie pulled back at the sharpness in tone, the way she yelled at Richie made him curl and revolt. 

“Goddamn it Mom!” Richie yelled back “can’t you just fucking appreciate I’m here!” 

What did that mean? Didn’t Richie live there? 

“How about you appreciate that your father puts this roof over our heads!” The woman snapped, her voice wasn’t anything like Eddie’s mom’s, hers was sharp and loud, like a gunshot. 

“Over your head! The money that was supposed to go to me was spent on booze and cigarettes!” Richie said, he sounded like he was crying heavily now. 

Oh god, he was an angry crier, it made Eddie’s heart break to pieces. 

“Oh boohoo! You ran away! So what? You’re back!” She yelled “What has it been? Two weeks?”

Oh my god, it made sense, he never had a change of clothes, he ate like a monster, ended up spending the night on his couch so many nights, came over right after school. 

If he had known he would have helped out more, but who could blame him, his mother was just as bad as his, just in a different sense. 

Their yelled subsided, they were whispering again, Eddie took this as a sign to step away from the door, he had already heard too much. 

He ran back to his spot near the wall, standing awkwardly again. 

Not a second later the door flew open, Richie storming out, his cheeks tear stained, eyes red and puffy. 

“Let’s go, now.” He hissed, still stomping out of the house, Eddie quickly following behind. 

They got on Eddie’s bike in silence, Richie occasionally sniffing but he clearly didn’t want to talk about it. Swiftly they pulled away from the house and began their journey home. 

The ride home’s silence was worse than the one over, Eddie couldn’t think of a thing to say to him, such a positive night turned for the worst, like all things now days. 

He could fee Richie’s angered gaze on all the happy children they passed, his tears stopping but his cheeks were still puffy and red. 

They pulled up to the house with a squeal of Eddie’s breaks, making him almost topple over. 

Eddie hopped off, Richie climbing off to walk the bike up, still silent. 

“Hey- Richie.” Eddie said as Richie turned around to leave, hand catching Richie’s “your parents might be shitty, and that’s not okay- like at all, but what I’m trying to say is we love you, the losers. We’re a family, all of us together.” 

Richie smiled, rubbing off the last of his tears with his free hand. 

“A kiss for the road?” Richie asked smiling, stepping closer to Eddie. 

Eddie shook his head before pulling him chest to chest. 

“Only if you spend the night, I’ll get you some PJs and blankets for the couch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeat’d like always. Happy Halloween!!! Kudos and comments make Halloween extra special


	9. The Hanlon’s house.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and his family move into a new house full of promises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a graphic depictions of Death at the end so watch out.

Mike’s father and mother stared proudly at the new house, well new to them. 

The neighborhood was freshly desegregated and this was the best house the Hanlons could afford, what a beautiful sight she was. 

The house wasn’t terribly worn down, a couple owners here and there but no one seemed to stick, but that was a thing about the Hanlons, they were proud and were going to make it fit. 

“What do you think, Mikey? We could do a little rewiring for a couple of weekends, maybe if you help around the house we can see if we can afford an air conditioner for your room.” Mike’s father, Will, said beaming with pride. 

“It’s really perfect dad.” Mike smiled, surrendering to the head rub given to him by his father. 

Mike shuffled to the truck, pulling his box of tchotchkes out, a pillow, and his sack of clothes. 

He didn’t have much from the farm, he needed all new clothes for the city, he needed all new everything, it was cleansing but heartbreaking to let so much go. 

The house was big, much much bigger than he knew what to do with, only three people in a house like that seemed like a waste. 

That was the farmer in Mike, the ethical side that didn’t want to glamour, the part of him that wanted to go back home, help with the harvest and sleep in the clear night away from the hustle and bustle of the city. That side wasn’t going to get anywhere in L.A. where glitz rained supreme. 

“You can always visit.” Mike reminded himself, he was going to miss his grandfather, the farm, the sheep he raised. 

The city was a promise though, that he’d get a better education, that his father would support them with the job at his uncle’s work, his mother could go to secretary school. 

Mike carried his box into the house, humming a song to himself, pushing open the door with his back. 

He stared at the boys who stood across the street from them, wondering if he should pull the shutters tight, what were they doing there? 

Mike didn’t like the way they stood, their menacing manner heavy in their air, even from across the street. 

“Mikey?!” His father yelled “will you help me unpack some pans?! Your mother is going to make dinner!” 

Mike shook his head, pulling the blinds closed, maybe the boys were just passing by. 

Mike unpacked with his father and mother with little chatter, the occasional small talk but not much, growing more and more comfortable in his new house. 

At the end of dinner, after he washed his plate, he went to his room, history book tucked under his arm, thinking about the warm flannel pajamas on his bed, the bed from the farm that arrived yesterday, his uncle put it in for him. 

He padded up the stairs, smile growing wider at the prospect of sleep and his book, maybe he could go to the corner store he saw down the block the next day, get a sketch pad and pencils to start drawing again. 

Mike thought of all the things he draw, from his favorite horse on the farm to the cows grazing the pastures, he did so oddly as he put his pajamas on, buttoning each button with preoccupied hands. 

He settled on his bed, thinking of all the prospects of tomorrow, fingers idly flicking over his book that he was once so invested in. 

Mike switched his light off with a click, smiling to himself, maybe L.A. wasn’t too terrible after all. 

He could feel the heavy, comforting blanket of sleep start to lay on him, making it easier to relax into his bed until he was just slipping into darkness. 

Mike was warm, too warm, maybe even hot, but it wasn’t any worry to him, just the L.A. air was all. 

Mike was definitely hot now, his skin was burning up, his eyes shooting open, thick smoke clouding his vision. 

“Fuck!” Mike cried out, sitting up on his bed, his eyes flying side to side trying to find the source. 

His eyes flicked over to see his curtains raising higher and higher with flames, the walls already dancing with flames. 

He hopped out of bed, clambering to the door as fast as he could, shaking and banging the door. 

“Dad?! Mom?! Help!” He screamed, panic laden in his voice as he banged the door. 

The flame was rising higher now, getting closer to him, the door still not budging, the smoke choking him like hands were wrapped around his throat. 

He couldn’t tell if the smoke was getting darker or if he was slipping out of consciousness. 

“Mike?! Mike are you in there?!” He heard his mother’s voice ring out, shaking as Mike faltered against the door. 

“Mom?!” He tried to yell, he really did, but nothing really came out, just a choking cough. 

Tears were running down his cheeks now, his legs shaking in fear, was he blacking out now? 

God, who did this? Why did they do it? 

The boys, good god it was the boys! 

But why couldn’t he get out? 

“Mikey?! Mike!” His mother yelled slamming on the door, crying out. 

“Mom! Mom! Get out of here! Go!” Mike replied with the last of his strength “you have to leave!” 

He heard his mother’s wails but it was only fair, he couldn’t leave but his parents could, they could live on. 

“Jessica! We have to go!” His father yelled, his mother’s wails growing louder as she was pulled away from the door. 

Mike sobbed as he rest his head against the door, the fire bubbling up his leg, making the air smell of burnt cotton and sizzling flesh. 

He screamed in pain, the air sucked out of him, going to the fire that was swallowing him whole. 

His eyes closed, for the last time.

 

 

“Muh-Mike? Is that your n-name?” A voice stuttered, making Mike’s eyes snap open. 

Before Mike, in the charred remains of his bedroom was two boys, dressed in period clothing, like they were from the 1920’s. The taller of the boys looked to be about Mike’s age, the other maybe seven or eight. 

“Who are you?” Mike asked looking around “what are you doing in my room?” 

The younger boy moved, shifting a bit, a dripping coming from him. Mike’s eyes dragging to his arm, well, lack of. 

“The f-fire last night, was started by those awful boys, but the reason you d-d-d-died was because of the c-cl-clown, he locked the door.” The older boy spoke, the stuttering voice from before “I’m s-sorry Mike, you’re like us now, y-y-you’re dead.”


	10. The boy in the attic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie finds out about the history of all the former residents of the murder house from a clue from a little boy in the attic

It was only noon but Eddie Kaspbrak was already bored. He had finished his school work for the day and done his chores, there was nothing else to do except wait for the losers to get out of school. 

He tried watching TV but his mother snapped at him to go read a book, but Eddie was listless, he’d rather die than read a book at that moment. 

So there Eddie was, climbing the stairs to the addict his mother always thwarted him from going to. She said it was dangerous, the dust would aggravate his asthma. Eddie rolled his eyes to himself, ever since he moved in he started believing less and less of the things his mother told him. 

He reached the top of the rickety stairs with a creak, dust clinging to his socks as he wrapped his hand around the cold door knob. 

The door swung open with a creak to reveal the box laden attic, where his mother kept his winter clothes and Christmas decorations. 

With a self satisfied sigh he stepped onto the cold and gritty floor, the small act of defiance making him giddy. The attic was vast and cold, grey like a black and white movie. 

“Billy?” A meek voice squeaked out. 

Eddie jumped, so startled he could barely make a noise, pulling back in shock. 

“Billy? Is that you?” The voice chimed again, the source waddling out. 

The source was a small boy, barely eight or seven, half of his size and dressed dapperly, like he was from a silent film or something. 

Eddie sat down with a ‘thud’ why the fuck was there just a random boy, a small and harmless boy but a random boy!

“You’re not Billy or Mike.” The boy said pulling back, “You’re the boy who lives downstairs.” 

“Well you’re- you’re in my house.” Eddie replied, sitting up now. 

The boy walked to him, the detail on him immaculate, he looked like he walked right off a movie set. 

“No” He said incredulously “you’re in my house!” 

Eddie giggled at such a little kid sentiment. The little boy seemed steadfast in his stance on the matter. 

“Is Bill your big brother?” Eddie asked, not so worried about the little boy now “are you waiting for him here?” 

The boy nodded, smiling at his older brother’s mention. 

“I know Bill, he’s my friend.” Eddie said, coaxing the boy to him, trying to understand why he was there. “I’m Eddie.” He introduced, smile light and curt. 

The little boy examined him, before sitting down across from him, mimicking the way Eddie was sitting, legs crossed, arms folded. 

“I know,” He chirped, smile wide and adorable, the kind that made Eddie want to punch his cheeks “I’m Georgie.” 

Eddie nodded, Bill must’ve told him. 

Eddie stared down the boy again, he stared at his arm in particular, well, lack of. Maybe he was born with out it, Eddie rationalized, or maybe it had to be amputated?

He pulled his eyes away, not trying to be rude, but a million questions raced through his mind. 

“So you know Mike?” Eddie asked, trying for conversation, maybe getting a look into why the boy was there. 

“Of course I do! He’s the one that suggested I hide up here!” Georgie said like it was nothing, so casually it sent a chill down Eddie’s spine. 

Why? 

Why was he hiding there? From what? From who? 

“What are you hiding from?” Eddie questioned, feeling bold enough to ask. 

The little boy’s smile faded, an unpleasant sight to see such a bundle of joy flicker out like a candle. 

“The clown,” He whispered, “the others.” 

Eddie felt a pins and needles feeling, what the fuck? Was this some joke? 

“What clown?” Eddie whispered back, leaning close now, desperately trying to understand what his little boy meant. 

Please be an imaginary friend, please be an imaginary friend. 

“The clown in the basement,” Georgie said like it was nothing “he wants you too, so you’ll be like us.” 

Eddie pulled back, scurrying back from the child, his worries returning in full swing. 

“What do you mean by ‘like us’?” Eddie whispered fiercely, not going to cower away like before. 

“Dead, silly!” Georgie giggled. 

Eddie crawled back completely. He kept crawling in fact until he hit the door, before he scrambled down the stairs. 

His heart was pounding, what the fuck? What the fuck? 

He slammed the door to his room, not caring about whatever his mother would yell in rebuttal to his act of defiance of her very clear ‘no door slamming or locking’ rule. 

Fuck that, he was doing both. 

He flipped the lock before racing to his laptop, slapping it open, fingers shaking so much he could barely type into his search into google. 

“Clown...murder...LA...1920...” he muttered as he typed in the words one by one. 

He scrolled, pages of local clown attacks, that one clown murderer from the 70’s, some various mob killings from the 20’s, the black dahlia- 

There! 

The third page, in some dingy poorly designed tumblr blog, the whole aura made his soul itch. 

It was some serial killer type fan blog, it made Eddie sick but he saw that post, just a glimmer of what he was searching for. 

“C’mon person who runs this blog...get your life together.” Eddie muttered to himself, heavily judging such person’s life decisions. 

Then, without fanfare, it was there, the post he was looking for. 

‘The chilling Benbrough murders of the LA murder house.’ The article was titled, pulling Eddie into whatever dark hole of the internet it was. 

The article went on to detail the crime scene, the date, the time, the grisly details of how the youngest boy’s arm was severed, but most of all, the names and the photos. 

The photos were grainy, wide family photos but they were there, the names too. 

Georgie and Bill Denbrough. Georgie murdered by Robert Gray, a birthday clown, the clown killed in self defense by Bill, Bill committing suicide at the guilt. 

Eddie’s Big Bill, the losers’ Big Bill. 

That’s when it struck him. 

He closed the tab, fingers shaking now more than ever. Hastily he typed in the words ‘LA Murder House.’

Then his screen blew up like a firework had gone off, dozens of photos and old articles about his house, more importantly what was going on inside of it. 

The next one he found was more recent, a wrongful death lawsuit against the Uris’ for the death of Stan Uris, his curly haired and thin lipped Stan. 

His heartbeat raced like his mind, both crying out at this new information, praying he was dreaming but knowing he wasn’t. 

He huffed his inhaler twice before clicking on the next article, an hate crime related arson in the 60’s against the Hanlon family, the first black family in the neighborhood, killing only their thirteen year old son Mike. 

Eddie was frantic now, clicking each article and news letter one after the other, like a man searching for water in a desert. 

Next a tumblr blog chronicled an unidentified red headed girl beat to death in the basement while it was abandoned, in ‘94, her face so twisted and mangled Eddie wanted to puke, but it was very much so Beverly. 

Eddie instinctively clicked on the next page, a gruesome sight popping up immediately, one of a boy carved up like a ham, his stomach branded by whatever monsters did it, the face hidden but the shaggy blonde hair and body obviously belonging to Ben, brutally carved up by unknown perpetrators during the house’s abandoned period in ‘87. 

Eddie was sobbing now, what the fuck was this? Why him? Why all of his beautiful friends? 

He choked his sobs on his pillow, not to alert his mother, his sails not lost upon the ears of his friends, his dead friends. 

He could barely click the next article, knowing what was in store, choking on a bubbling cry of despair. 

No, he couldn’t stand to, he couldn’t see his friends like that, he definitely would not see his Richie like that. 

Eddie slapped the laptop shut, a lead blanket suffocating him now, while simultaneously feeling like a gutted pumpkin. 

“Y-you guys can cuh-come out now,” Eddie sniffled, his voice breaking and stuttering as he controlled his sobbing. 

The air in the room turned cold, then back to normal, bringing to show his friends encompassing his bed. 

“You found out...” Stan trailed, eyes cast low, “I’m sorry.” 

Eddie rubbed his tears with the back of his hand, pushing them off of his face like a reluctant child. 

“Why are you sorry? I’m sorry for you, I’m sorry for everything that’s been inflicted on you.” Eddie said shaking his head. 

The losers all took a spot on his bed, huddling around him, like he was in need of cocooning. 

“That’s the past,” Bev dismissed, waving her hand, but her eyes stinging red anyway “you’re in the now, we’re going to protect you now, you’re not gonna be like us.” 

Richie was dead silent, his eyes cloudy with tears, maybe they were all emotional but Richie’s eyes held the most pain. 

Eddie wrapped his arms around Ben and Richie, the people closest to him before pulling them into a hug, his sobs muffled by the other’s gentle shushing. 

Richie quickly laced his fingers in with Eddie’s once they broke the hug, making both of them blush and the other group wolf whistle or ‘ooh’ 

“Ah go sniff Eddie’s mom’s panties, not like anything is secret now anyways.” Richie said with a smile following up his remark. 

Quick as a flash Richie pressed a light kiss to Eddie’s cheek, much to the laughter of half of their friends and groaning from the other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much angst. Kudos and comments make my day!!


	11. Truths come to light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie discloses the ins and outs of being a ghost.

Eddie curled on Richie’s chest, relaxing like a cat on a pillow, trying to relax after such an ordeal. Going for a record of five minutes of complete silence from Richie. 

“Eddie bear?!” Sonia Kaspbrak called through the door, pounding on the door for it to shake “Eddie don’t shut me out like this!” 

Eddie jumped up, throwing the door open straightening himself, hoping his mother wouldn’t see the sprawled out on the bed. 

“Heya Mom, everything alright?” He asked, leaning against the door. 

“I’m just here to give you your medicine.” She said smiling, her sickly sweet smile making him ill “making sure you’re okay, I don’t know how those...friends of yours are affecting you.”

Eddie smiled curtly, scooping the meds up, turning to his suddenly empty bed with his meds in hand, shocked to see no one there. 

“Are you sure you’re okay, Eddie?” She asked, peaking her head into the room. 

“Yeah mom I’m fine.” He said shutting the door. 

As soon as the door was shut Richie just seemed to, appear. 

Eddie swallowed his medicine before crawling next to Richie. 

“So how does this whole...ghost thing work?” Eddie asked, his head resting over Richie’s chest “I can hear your heart, I can feel you here.” 

Richie picked up Eddie’s hand and intertwined it with his own. 

“Things are different here, everything I thought I knew about ghosts from movies and shit was wrong. The ghosts here, are like frozen, but at the same time more alive than ever, if your mom’s vagina were to ‘kill’ me- Ow!” Richie was cut off by Eddie’s punch to his arm “or if you ever get really tired of me and you just snap my neck, I’d just wake up five minutes later, same as before.” Richie explained. 

Eddie laid there quietly listening to his heartbeat. 

“Why don’t you leave the house? Like you did on Halloween?” Eddie asked, big brown eyes staring up at him. 

Richie sighed, eyes meeting Eddie’s before sliding away. 

“It’s one of those complicated things...we can only leave the house on Halloween and Halloween night until the sun comes up.” He said carding his free hand through Eddie’s hair. 

“So is that why I didn’t see any of the other losers on Halloween?” Eddie questioned, burrowing his face into Richie’s chest, voice a little muffled. 

He felt Richie’s breath catch, heart rate pick up. What kind of question would make him so nervous?

Richie paused, his hand caught in Eddie’s brown locks, thrown off by the question. 

“Yeah, but not all of the losers have family they can visit, Bill’s family died off a long time ago, ‘cause he’s fucking ancient. Mike’s parents used to visit before I died but they died from old age.” Richie said, ease now in his voice, like he was talking about the weather. 

“Does that mean you’ve only seen your mother once a year?” He asked, already on a sensitive topic. 

Richie snorted and laughed, a very uncharacteristically sad laugh. 

“Fuck no, I hate that bitch. That was the first time I’ve seen her in two years and she didn’t...” Richie trailed, eyes welling with tears now, oh no. 

Eddie sat up and wiped his tears away, not caring about the gross crying snot that would eventually follow. 

“She didn’t even notice I was gone, like before.” He whimpered, letting his face fall into Eddie’s hands. 

He let Richie cry for a bit, shushing him gently every now and then. 

He was like a Renaissance painting when he cried, all pale skin blotchy, 

Eddie felt heartbroken at such a tragedy, to be stuck in time only to watch everyone you love get old around you. 

“Rich, how did you die?” He asked, thumb wiping a streak of tears away from Richie’s cheeks. 

“I got shot,” He said quickly “I was homeless, squatting here, stole the wrong thing from the wrong person. I was a sticky fingered asshole back in the day, stole more shit than you could have ever imagined, got followed home and-“ he stopped to put his fingers in a shape of a gun by his head “blam!” He said pulling the fake trigger “what a lame ass way to die, I was hoping to go out surrounded by cocaine and hookers.” 

Eddie laughed, slapping his arm, glad he has someone to make him smile, especially someone like Richie. 

Would Eddie be like that? Would Eddie be 20 someday and still in love with Richie? Could he potentially be 60, living in the murder house with a boy his age, but forever 14? 

Eddie shuddered at the thought, he didn’t want to be a gross old man still fawning over Richie, what a horrible and gross idea. 

His chest tightened, sniffling, god why was he always crying? 

“What if...what if I wanna be like you? Stay here with you?” Eddie whispered, looking up at Richie with misty eyes. 

Richie’s face fell, all kindness and carefulness gone. 

“No.” He said flatly “I won’t let you do that, no matter what you think you know about this house, what it means to be dead, it’s all wrong. There’s a rent in this house, one that’s not cute to pay.” 

Eddie shuttered at the words, what could he mean? Why was he so strongly against it? 

“Let’s just watch YouTube videos on your laptop and forget about it, I know your mom’s parental lock code is ‘Richie is my passionate lover44-‘ Ow!” Richie was cut off again by Eddie smacking him. 

“If we’re gonna date, stop making jokes about dating my mom.” Eddie said shaking his head, lips pursed, trying not to smile. 

“Ooh?! Dating? Are we dating young chap?” Richie said in his butler voice, that stupid voice “you want to get hitched? Go down to the courthouse?!” 

Eddie shoved him, almost right off the bed. 

“I want to break up!” He declared with a bubble of laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeat’d so the terrible grammar is my own fault. Find me on tumblr at elevens-sheet-ghost! Also kudos and comments are always appreciated


	12. The ghosts need to talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fellow ghost address Richie and his absence on Halloween and how he backed out on the deal.

Bev waited at the end of the winding wooden staircase of the parlor, waiting for Richie to come down, they all needed to address some issues and it seemed like now was the time. 

Ben sat opposite of her, letting Sonia Kaspbrak walk through him, as she paced anxiously, waiting for her precious Eddie to come down. The other boys were flush in a broken around her, Stan, Mike and Bill in their own little world as always. 

The ghost world was quiet, a place to relax if you were tired of the hustle and bustle of flesh and blood. 

Beverly Marsh held no resentments to Eddie, she considered him a friend, but she wasn’t too pleased with the way Richie was acting over him. 

The shit backed out on the deal, didn’t even show up on Halloween, he bailed for Eddie, that wouldn’t fly, especially with the clown. 

She could feel the clown getting antsy, his beatings and attacks on Halloween more senseless than ever, he was missing his sixth victim, a whole other outlet of rage missing. 

Though that was like the clown, cunning as always, he found a way to make up for Richie’s absence, another current of rage flowing through a different channel. 

Richie trotted down the stairs, passing through Mrs. Kaspbrak with a stupid smile on his face. 

“We need-d-d to tuh-talk.” Bill said flatly, face stern. He gave no shit with that look, that look meant it was business. 

Richie’s face fell, all of his facades of entertaining others fell when he was addressed like this, Bev had only seen it once before but she herself knew for a fact it was the face of a little kid who was scared of his parents. 

“About what?” Richie asked, trying to pick his jester’s mask back up with his tone. 

“About Halloween, about how you left us in the basement with the clown.” Stan hissed, his tone less than sparing. 

“He’s g-getting restless, dow-w-n there. He’s going after Georgie again, what makes you thin-k Eddie is ex-ex-exempt from that?” Bill asked, eyes burning like hellfire. 

If there was one thing in world Bill cared about, it was Georgie, not even Mike or Stan could come between that. 

“Why should I have to turn over and show my belly to him, huh? What the fuck is he gonna do to us that he hasn’t already done?” Richie barked, “excuse me for enjoying someone who actually gets me!” 

“You say th-at like we don’t care about you!” Bill returned, face flushed, he always hated it when someone questioned his friendship. “We agreed to this deal because of you! Because nobody else needs to g-g-get hurt! How selfish are you?!” Bill demanded “because of your stunt one day a year of torture will become life times! You weren’t here when just Mike and I were, yuh-you don’t know what it’s like to have to hide in the clown’s home turf!” 

“Bill,” Mike warned, hands clasped on his shoulders. 

Richie was tearing up now, his fists balled, his tears were those of embarrassment and anger, Bev sometimes forgot that he was still a kid as they were adults and old people in 13 year old’s bodies. 

“Fuck you!” Richie snapped, face turned red. 

“What did you tell h-him, huh? That you got shot? What if he looked it up and found out that you lied, that you were r-ripped apart, completely torn to shreds like a piece of meat! He saw all the ph-photos of us brutalized, why can’t he see you?!” Bill yelled, face to face with Richie now. 

“I didn’t want him to get scared, I didn’t want him to think about him!” Richie said, arms thrown over his head “I’m not one of you pussies who’s gonna let the clown tear me to shreds for fun again, and again, and again!” 

“You did it to spare him?! How rich! The clown is wanting fresh blood more than ever. He should know, he should watch his back!” Bill said towering over Richie, “you don’t get attached to the living Richie! They’re your friend and no more! Eddie is a phase and you know it!” 

At that, Richie snapped. 

The smaller boy threw his glasses to the ground before shoving Bill to the ground, pure rage boiling before his eyes. 

Ben and Bev almost leaped to Richie’s side, trying to pull him off of bill as he wailed punch after punch on him, Bill getting in his fair share as well. 

Bev was so preoccupied she didn’t really notice Stan and Mike prying Bill away from the fight. 

Each pair pulled their respective fuming boy away from each other and onto the other side of the parlor, going through Mrs. Kaspbrak’s ankles and tripping her lightly. 

“Guys!” Bev snapped “Richie you fucked up, okay?! Admit it and move on, go work something out with the clown. Bill, he’s a goddamn kid, cut him some slack, you know you used to run around on Halloween, we all did. Everyone apologize!” Bev bellowed, tired of their shit. 

The two boys shrugged out of their pinned positions, standing up and straightening themselves. 

They eyed one another as Bev sighed, boys were always so fucking stupid and stubborn. 

“I’m sorry I bailed, and that I kicked your ass.” Richie apologized, rubbing his arms. 

“Yeah, that did s-s-suck you have a nice r-ruh-right hook.” Bill joked, “sorry I was a puh-puh-prick.” 

“I guess I do have to talk to him. Just watch after Eddie when I do, okay? Tell him I’m kicking ghost ass or something, or sleeping with his mom maybe just- just don’t let him know what’s going on.” Richie said solemnly. 

“We won’t.” Ben said, finally piping up. “Believe it or not, you’re not the only one who likes him.” 

The group chuckled, Bev leaning on her head on his shoulder. 

“Wowza! Haystack gets off a good one! Yucka yucka yuck.” Richie said, before laughing at his own jokes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This series is coming to a close soon, but not as soon as you think, I have a couple turns ready. As always, kudos and comments make my day!!!


	13. Henry’s plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry plans his revenge on a certain losers club.

“Let it go, Henry.” Patrick snapped at his friend, it’d been over a month since they decided to visit the murder house and Patrick still had bruises. 

Henry on the other hand had not let it go in the slightest, every moment of free time out of school was Henry trying to figure what exactly the fuck happened there. 

Henry saw three kids, one burnt to a crisp, the other with the back of his brain blown right out, the other with his limbs hanging by threads. 

As of that moment he and his friends were hanging around his house, praying that his dad wouldn’t get 

He couldn’t sleep after that, one of them broke his one of goddamn ribs. The one that stuttered. 

Henry spent the next months looking for whatever semblance of reasoning for it but he couldn’t find it. It was all a mess, part of Henry’s hair was going white, Blech ended up with a black eye, Vic didn’t speak for a week straight. 

The worst part was the clown, the one with peeling makeup and blood covered hands, eyes like wild fire. He stood at the end of the house, beyond the children- the monster’s reach, he waved goodbye to them as they rushed to be car. 

Normally Henry would think it was all the blows to his head, but everything he saw that night, it had to be real. 

“I’ve done some research and shit.” Henry announced to his gang, “I found something interesting.” 

Patrick laughed. “I didn’t know you could read.” Patrick said. 

Henry smacked Patrick on the back of his head, fuck his concussion, bitch had it coming. 

“Ouch- fuck.” Patrick said rubbing the back of his head. 

“Like I was saying- those kids-“ Henry was cut off 

“Oh this again.” Belch griped, eyes rolling. 

Henry punched Belch’s arm, hopefully hard enough for a bruise. 

“As you were saying.” Belch’s said, looking like he wasn’t going to pipe up again. 

“Those kids- they’re been dead, almost all of them, almost one hundred years. Like the one with head blown off? That was fuckin Bill Denbrough, the thing we wanted to recreate, that was the one who kicked our ass.” Henry said 

He stared at the group of boys, waiting for their reaction. They stared at him blankly before bursting into gut busting laughter. 

Anger swirled in Henry, the kind that made you want to crawl inside yourself and set everything else on fire; the kind that made you want to tear yourself apart, where the crown of your head hurt. 

“Shut the fuck up!” He yelled “you explained what happened! 

“We got our ass kicked by little kids! We all got blows to the head, they ran us out of that shithole and we’re never going back!” Vic yelled, showing a bit of bravery for once “Whatever happened there, cannot be explained, that shit was fucking weird, but we got our asses handed to us by sniveling brats.” He grumbled. 

Henry wanted to kick his ass most of all now, his blond asshole had it coming, him and Belch ran from the kids instead of putting up a fight. 

“They were ghosts! I know how we can get rid of them, make them pay!” Henry said. 

His friends continued to laugh, making him want to punch all of them again. 

“Shut up!” He roared “there’s a book! I researched it online.”

“From where? I didn’t know amazon sold a ghost extermination kit.” Patrick laughed. 

Henry slapped him upside the head again, making him wail in pain. 

“It’s called the necronomicon!” Henry said. 

He pulled the book out to show to his friends, leather bound and tattered, covered in runes and unfamiliar symbols covering it. 

“I got it from my dealer, his sister is a witch or satanist or whatever. This is real shit! We will send them straight to Hell, there’s a spell in here to banish ghosts! Look!” He said throwing open the book, pulling to the chapter where the spell was written. 

The book’s pages were tattered, like someone had attempted to burn it. The letters were slightly smudged but overall grimy and brown. 

“Henry- that’s some real shit there- you shouldn’t play with that stuff.” Patrick said shaking his head, “whatever the fuck you think you’re doing, leave it alone.”

Henry took the book and smacked it against Patrick’s head, another wail of pain. 

There was no way in fuck was Henry Motherfucking Bowers going to be shown by some bitch ass kids, dead or not. 

Now he was looking like a crazy person in front his friends; No, they were the crazy ones, to ignore something like that, to ignore the fact that his hair was going white. 

“Anyone else have something to say?” Henry asked, his breath faltering as he gasped for breath in his rage. 

It felt like a sandstorm was whirling inside of him, burning his lungs, his heart pounding in his ears. 

“Henry, this isn’t healthy, we need to cut this out.” Belch whispered, daring to speak after a long stretch of silence. 

Henry slammed his book onto the bookshelf he drew the book from originally. Sending it crashing into the ground. 

“Get out.” He hissed, heaving breath, shoulders shaking as stood as still as he could. 

The boys didn’t move, they just stared at him like he was some freak. 

“GET OUT!” He screamed stomping on the ground where he threw the bookshelf. 

His friends scrambled out like cockroaches, scuttling away in fear from his outbreak. 

Henry shook as he grabbed his book, holding it to his chest, fingers thumbing across the burned pages. 

He was going to make them pay. He was going to send them straight to Hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHATS UP BINCHES IM BACK. COME TALK TO ME AT Lets-be-okay ON TUMBLR.


	14. Richie’s promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richie feels the house getting ready to take Eddie into it’s clutches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OHMY GOD GUYS IM SO SORRY I HAVENT UPDATED IN FOREVER. Lots o shit happened in my personal life and I just couldn’t write for a while. Finally got the story back on track, sorry to tell y’all it’s finally getting close to an end, but of course this isn’t the last reddie I’ll ever write or the last story from me.

Richie stared at the basement, he could see the pale blue eyes staring back up at him. He had to make it up once a month, until Halloween came again. 

He was rubbing his shirt that was torn down the side, his skin was blistering shut, he had to hold his intestines in on the other side. 

He had so stuff them back in, sniffing and crying at the pain. 

Richie didn’t think of anything else but Eddie as it happened, he had to do this for him, he couldn’t let him be in Richie’s position. Ever. 

He quickly stuffed his intestines back into his side, muffling a cry as his ribs cracked back into place. 

He glared down at the bright blue eyes of the clown, sticking his middle finger back up at him. 

“Don’t fucking try it, you got your murder fetish out.” Richie barked at him, throwing his shoe at the clown. “Gonna day something? Always gonna be quiet? You’re fucking weird.” 

He buttoned up his Hawaiian shirt, the blood was clearing now. However this ghost thing worked, it was weird and Richie didn’t understand it. 

Richie sat up, cleaning his glasses as he did. He threw his middle finger back at the clown before walking out. 

He pushed his hair back, looking over at Ben and Bev on the couch. They smiled at him but he knew it was a grim smile. 

“Eds still sleeping?” Richie asked Mike, who was reading across Bill’s legs. 

“I don’t know, you’re the one who watches him sleep.” Stan answered for Mike. 

“Ka-chow! Stan the man at it with the comebacks!” Richie said making a finger gun at him, dodging the fact that yeah, it was creepy. 

“You’re avoiding the truth!” Stan yelled up the stairs as Richie ran away from the truth, literally. 

He slipped into the human realm to knock on Eddie’s door, it was about 8:30 and Eddie was a real prude about bedtimes and waking up. 

Eddie opened the door, disheveled and kinda disoriented, eyes squinting at Richie like he was the one who needed glasses. 

“What the fuck do ya want?” Eddie said staring up at him. 

“Someone is off his sleep schedule.” Richie said leaning down at him. He grabbed his cheeks and pulled them in and out, making them click clack. “Cute! Cute! Cute!” He proclaimed, kissing his forehead. 

Eddie smacked him, loud and card. 

“Get off.” He growled, he trotted off and flopped back into bed. 

Richie knew the difference between Eddie being fussy, and Eddie being distraught and hiding it. 

Richie clambered into his bed next to him, he could feel his heart racing. 

“I had nightmares, I’ve been having them about one a week now. They’re worse than any nightmare I’ve ever had. Maybe it’s what the house does to you.” Eddie grumbled. 

Did Eddie sleep better when he watched him? Nah, it was probably just him thinking he was special or something. Richie knew he wasn’t special. 

It was weird with Eddie knowing, it opened a lot of doors but at the same time it made it awkward as all hell. 

“The house is evil, it will do anything to corrupt you.” Richie said shaking his head “if you wanna sleep in I’ll stay here.” 

“Stay in bed? Stay in bed! My mom will have me down at the urgent care scanning me for mono if I don’t hop out of bed at 7:30!” He protested, fighting against his blanket and Richie’s gangly limbs wrapped around him. 

Shit, did he not see the clock? 

But, Mrs. K wasn’t banging down the door. Did she see the clock? She just didn’t notice, maybe she didn’t care. 

What the fuck? 

That’s never happened. 

But, come to think of it? Couple months now it’s been different, she just seemed to see right through Eddie. 

That was the house, preparing Eddie, the inevitable death. Richie was fighting it, but it seemed Eddie wasn’t, he wasn’t even aware it was happening. 

The marriage of Eddie and the house was almost complete, the last vow to be said was his death. Which wasn’t happening on Richie’s watch. 

Though everyone in the house could feel it, it almost felt like the house was getting a new belt to adjust to the extra weight of another soul. 

It had been almost three years since Richie’s death, nearing a hundred on Bill and Georgie’s, the house seemed to want more and more, faster and faster. 

Eddie settled into his chest, he was asleep already. He was paler than usual, had he been outside lately? 

Richie felt like a concerned mother hen, he felt himself picking up the slack Mrs. K was leaving behind. 

Eddie wasn’t taking his meds either, just letting them mull by with the time. 

Richie brushed his fingers over Eddie’s hair, growing curly and shaggy without a haircut. 

That fucking clown was taking it out of Richie, he just wasn’t there to take care of his baby. He didn’t have it in him to make sure he was okay, it felt worse than anything the clown could do to him. 

“I’m not gonna let the house take you, I’m gonna fight it.” Richie muttered before pressing a kiss to his forehead. “You’re not gonna die here, I swear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments make me wanna write faster!! (I’m kidding I’ll write fast I promise.) they also make my day. Find me on tumblr @trixies-allstar-crown

**Author's Note:**

> unbeat'd so the grammar is all my fault. Kudos and comments make my day!! Find me on tumblr if you wanna talk about this fic at @elevens-sheet-ghost


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